The Masnaa Border Crossing is an international border crossing between the countries of Lebanon and Syria. It is completely land-based and links the customs checkpoints of Masnaa, Lebanon, and Jdeidat Yabous, Syria. An 8 km no man's land of desolate neutral territory buffers the distance between the border stations.[1] It is the primary crossing point between the countries, linking the capital cities of Beirut and Damascus.
Masnaa Border Crossing | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°42′10.32″N 35°55′26.57″E / 33.7028667°N 35.9240472°E |
| Carries | Multiple Lanes of Traffic |
| Locale |  Lebanon Syria |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | varies |
| Location | |
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Recent history
The border has been closed many times in its history and has been an ongoing subject of controversy, mostly due to its minor role in Middle Eastern hostilities. On April 29, 2010, a US security delegation visited the crossing, causing concern from the Lebanese Government and Hezbollah militants operating out of Lebanon.[2]
During the 2023 Israel-Hezbollah war, Israeli airstrikes cut the road to the border crossing.[3] The depth of the impact crater strongly hints the existence of an illegal underground tunnel underneath the civilian crossing. An Israel Defense Forces spokesman accused Hezbollah of transporting military equipment into Lebanon through the crossing.[4] This airstrike came after roughly 300,000 people, mostly Syrians, had fled from Lebanon into Syria through this crossing, fleeing Israeli bombardment.[5] The strike rendered the road impassable to cars, though it was still traversable on foot.[6]
References
- ^ "Arab League Travels to Beirut to Broker Peace". The National. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ "Visit by US delegation to border area causes confusion". YaLibnan. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
- ^ "After deadliest-in-decades airstrike in West Bank, Israel pounds Lebanon-Syria border crossing". Firstpost. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
- ^ "IDF says it destroyed tunnel used to smuggle Iranian weapons from Syria to Lebanon". Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "U.N.: 250,000 refugees have fled Lebanon for Syria". CNN. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
- ^ Mroue, Bassem (2024-10-04). "Israeli airstrikes rock Beirut, cut off a key crossing to Syria". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-10-05.